Patna, Aug 5 : Seven unidentified armed robbers looted Rs 21 lakh from a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Patna's outskirt village on Monday.





The police said that the robbers arrived on bikes in Jamui Koraiya village, under the jurisdiction of Dulhinbazar police station in the district and committed the crime.



In a daring daylight robbery, armed criminals entered a branch of Punjab National Bank, taking employees and customers hostage at gunpoint. They looted approximately Rs 21 lakh. The robbery took place just a few hours after the bank opened on Monday.



The district police are currently investigating the incident. The criminals also took away the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) of the bank's CCTV system, which will likely hinder the investigation.



Patna West City SP Abhinav Dhiman said that about Rs 21 lakh was looted from the PNB branch, adding that authorities are working diligently to track down the perpetrators and recover the looted money.



He said that the incident has prompted an extensive investigation, with authorities scanning CCTV footage from nearby shops and utilising a dog squad team to track down the perpetrators.



'The bank manager has said that Rs 21 lakh were looted. During the robbery, the criminals also took away the DVR of the CCTV installed in the bank. We are scanning the CCTV cameras in the adjoining shops to find some clues about the robbers. The dog squad team has been informed, and further action is ongoing,' Patna West City SP Abhinav Dhiman said.



In recent months, there has been a surge in crime incidents in Bihar and the opposition leaders are blaming the Nitish Kumar government for the failure of law and order in the state.



However, the state government claims that preventive measures are being taken to curb these incidents. Despite these claims, the rising crime rate remains a significant concern for the residents and authorities of Bihar.



/IANS